Archives for August 2015

Despite the appalling British weather (does this even classify as summer?), my return from Colombia has been a happy one. Although I was sad to leave the country I came to love and call home, being back in my true home London has reminded me of all the great things this city has to offer. But hardly back three weeks and I was lucky enough to travel away again, to the slightly less exotic, but no less exciting German capital of Berlin.

I had never been to Berlin before and had genuinely grown almost tired of hearing everyone else and their aunt rave about how wonderful it was. So my mum and I booked a six-day trip to explore the city and see what all the hype was about.

It seems everyone had good reason to praise Berlin – what an incredible city! Kicking off our holiday in style, it was time for some cocktails. We headed to the classic old-fashioned bar at the Kempinski hotel, in the district of Charlottenburg to quench our thirst. The bar was impressively stocked – and if this wasn’t enough, there was an equally impressive drinks trolley with just about every liquor under the sun.

I’ve definitely taken after my mum in a fair few traits, and my taste in alcohol is one of them. Despite being swayed by the extensive cocktail menu, sometimes you just can’t beat a classic. We both went for Negronis. A mildly potent mix, this cocktail is made up of equal quantities of gin, red vermouth and Campari. Who needs non-alcoholic mixers in their cocktails anyway? A Negroni is a classic apéritif, or pre-dinner drink, which is unsurprising – too many of these on an empty stomach would not end well.

So onto dinner it was as we headed into the trendy area of Kreuzberg, which seemed to be the hipster hangout of the city – a German Shoreditch if you will. There was such a wealth of great looking places to eat and drink, it was hard to know where to head! After yet another cocktail at a very cool bar, we eventually headed into Knofi.

A mix of Turkish, Persian and Moroccan cuisine, this is a great little spot where you choose from a salad bar and are served by staff, who then weigh your plate.

Mainly vegetarian, Knofi offered up more dips than I knew could even exist, along with the popular German cheese quark in many exciting flavors. Quark is somewhat similar to the Arabic labneh, strained yogurt which has a tangy, sour taste. Among the other options were many grain salads, with quinoa, couscous, bulgar wheat…all the grains you could think of.

We went for a large plate to share, and while not entirely sure what we were choosing (turns out all those years of Spanish did not help me with my German – funny that), everything on our plate was fantastic. From the top-notch classic hummus to the sweet-potato garlic dip next to it, one serving almost wasn’t enough! Other tasty treats on our plate included the lentil balls as seen in the middle and the cracking coriander and grain salad. All this, with two glasses of wine and bottles of water came to a grand total of €14! A bargain if you ask me.

Always eager to sample local cuisine, it was only natural that I try the famous German ‘delicacy’, the Currywurst. The slightly odd pairing of a German Bratwurst sausage combined with curry ketchup and then doused with a light sprinkling of curry powder on top, the Currywurst is the definitive dish in German street food. Invented by a woman called Herta Heuwer in 1949, this sausage and curry combo has been much loved since its birth. Whether I loved it could be questioned, but I certainly didn’t hate it. Although…trying it just once was plenty, as there was so much more food to be eaten!

Stay posted for the next installments of my Berlin trip. An absolutely sensational food market as well as what categorically classifies as ‘foodie heaven’ at Berlin’s swankiest department store, BidmeadBites certainly got its fill while in Berlin!

‘Don’t come to my country if you’re vegetarian.’

Wise words from Argentina’s ex-president Carlos Menem, who offered this advice to readers of an American magazine in the 1990s. However, as a cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires does actually offer up a wide range of cuisines, meaning veggies will hardly go hungry. But if the truth be told, here in the Argentine capital, the cow really does reign king.

The city is filled with parrillas (steakhouses), from the fanciest of restaurants to shacks in the street. Food hygiene to be bared in mind, don’t be fooled into thinking the best steaks are necessarily at the high-end hot spots. There’s hundreds of local neighborhood parrilla spots which serve up mean cuts of beef, pork, offal and general meaty goodness at a fraction of the price of the famous, tourist-filled guidebook recommendations.

Always up for trying a new local parrilla, on my most recent visit to Buenos Aires I struck lucky. Just around the corner from my friends house, we noticed the restaurant Ale Alé, which was heaving with people on a Saturday night. Our rumbling bellies were seduced by the grilled meat smell and general buzzing vibe of the place. Interestingly, it is also a co-operative restaurant. Many businesses in Buenos Aires that folded due to the 2001 economic crisis saw their employees group together to salvage their place of work. Self-management among staff and community spirit kept these businesses from closure and continue to be a running theme in these places today.

The restaurant is huge and probably seats about 150 people. The menu reads like any other parrilla, with the exception of a few ‘specials’ – huge platters made for sharing with chips, veggies and meat.

Normally only found in the very popular tenedor libre (all you can eat) style restaurants, Ale Alé had it’s very own unlimited salad bar. No sad iceberg lettuce and unripe tomato affair round here – guacamole, couscous, potatoes, roasted veggies, aubergine and squash purees…this is what all salad buffets should aspire to.

For mains I opted for a classic bife de chorizo, stressing I wanted it ‘bien jugoso‘ – bloody and rare, please. Despite having some of the best beef in the world, Argentines seem to insist on cooking it to death, which to me is nothing short of a crime. After a year battling with my Argentine friends when I lived in the city, I released it was going to be an ‘agree to disagree situation’. My meat red, your meat brown. But my meat better, obviously.

When my steak arrived, I think my grin would have challenged the Cheshire cat at his own game. My ‘bien jugoso‘ requests had been answered. In front of me sat what was one of the best steaks I had ever eaten. Rare, rich in flavor, with a wonderful, almost creamy texture, this steak was everything I could have wanted in a bife de chorizo and more. All this washed down with a bottle of Malbec and it cost me exactly half the price it would have at a fancier, more well known parrilla.

As well as trying out new neighborhood parrilla places, my revisit to BA was also a time to return to some old classics. I first discovered Parilla Peñaon my year abroad when following the recommendation of the wonderful Buenos Aires food blog Pick Up the Fork. Written by American ex-pat Allie Lazar, this website is really the gospel on all that is foodie and fantastic in Buenos Aires.

While there had been a few changes since my last visit (a menu with translations in English and some definite price increases), Parilla Peña remains a great option for trying out a real parrilla favored by locals, which serves good wine and excellent steak at reasonable prices. The service is cheerful and you even get free empanadas while you wait for your meaty mains. Clearly saving their customers for the meat feast that inevitably lies ahead, these empanandas were humita filled, which is a delicious creamy concoction of corn and spices.

Humita empanada

My Argentine friend attempted to order a milanesa – sort of like a schnitzel covered in tomato sauce, ham and cheese. My feelings on milanesas are similar to those I have about Argentina pizza – overwhelmingly hostile. After I explained my confusion at his choice of ordering a breaded, bashed fillet of beef smothered in sauce, cheese and bad ham at a place that served incredible steak, we ended up sharing a bife de lomo instead. Bossy, me? Certainly not.

After ordering our steak bien jugoso, it came a devastatingly overcooked shade of brown. I’m no fussy eater, but for my last night in Buenos Aires I’d be dammed if I ate a well done piece of meat. In my most charming manner, I asked the waiter if it’d be a terrible bother to change the steak as this was, in all fairness, not how we had ordered it (translation: bring me my beef bloody like what I asked, and pronto, señor). He clearly took my point as the next piece that came out was practically still breathing. Too rare for some, but in my beefy books, absolutely bloody perfect.

Despite the failed first attempt, Parilla Peña’s bife de lomo was something very special. I love lomo as it is more tender than other cuts (it is tenderloin after all) and I think that despite it’s richness it is easier to digest than other fattier cuts. I didn’t even mind having to send the first steak back, as the wait was more than worth it. With some wonderful company, wine and a big bloody steak infront of me, I couldn’t think of a better way to bid farewell to my beloved Buenos Aires.

Now back in London, I am just overwhelmed by the vast amount of new places there are to eat and drink in the city. Is there enough time in the day? I’ll have to get eating ASAP!

Sometimes the best things are last minute, like my impromptu and completely spontaneous decision to head back to my beloved Buenos Aires on a stop home from Colombia. I spent a year living in the Argentine capital while studying Spanish at Leeds, and since my departure two years ago I have always been keen to come back.

Somewhere in the north of Argentina, two years ago

Despite having always liked food, I have Argentina to thank for really turning a like into a love. While opinions on Argentine food are mixed – “their pizza sucks!“, “what the fuck is a milanesa?” and “do they have to put dulce de leche in eveeeerything?!”, food in this country plays a big part in its history and culture.The Argentine asado (barbecue) is much more than just a meal. The slow cooking meat, friends gathered together sipping on red wine and nibbling on chorizo sandwiches, awaiting the various cuts of beef, pork and whatever other goodness they have grilling on the parilla…the whole experience is enough to make a vegetarian eat meat just to be a part of this culturally important (and above all delicious), meaty affair.

‘I’ll just have, everything please’. Dinner (to share) at La Hormiga

For my first night back in the city what better dinner option than a whole asado in one plate? We headed toLa Hormiga in Palermo, which is part of a group of restaurants in the city that offer great food at great prices – other recommended restaurants in this group are Las Cabras (mainly meat) and Cumana (regional cuisine). This mixed parilla dish from La Hormiga is a great way to get the asado experience while dining out in a restaurant. Featuring a juicy bife de chorizo, grilled veggies, squash mash and some tasty grilled provoleta (typical Argentine cheese), this is a dish that has it all. One to share, it was the perfect welcome back into Buenos Aires.

Looking to relive all my favorite foodie moments in the city, the next night I returned to El Nono Amigo, a tiny deli on the corner of where I used to live. El Nono serves some seriously good picadas (mixed platters with cured meat and cheese), but this place became a favourite for me due to its empanadas, different from any others I had tried in the city.

Just check out the selection! Of course the Argentine classics of carne and jamon y queso will inevitably feature, but look to the far more interesting aubergine and artichoke options and you’ll see why I am such a fan. Cooked al horno, I prefer these beige bundles of goodness far more than the fried Colombian equivalent. I’m sorry Colombia…I still love you, I promise.

What better way to wash down these tasty empanadas than with a bottle of Malbec? Back at one of my favourite places, with my artichoke empanadas and bottle of red, I felt truly back in the bosom of my old home.

By no means the end of my foodie adventures back in Arg, be prepared for many a steak and new blog post to come! Peruvian lunches with hearty (literally) dishes abound, smoked and fried chicken wings in a meat feast that touch my soul and some exciting new steak house discoveries feature in my food-filled and fun packed ten day trip back to BA. So keep reading and stay tuned, as this is just the beginning!

Despite having lived a year in the city previously, being back in Buenos Aires I found myself wanting to do all the typical touristic things again. From the colorful houses of Caminito in La Boca to the graves of the rich and the famous in Recoleta, I felt inspired to take on the city as if it were new to me. And as any tourist in Buenos Aires should, I headed out on a Sunday to hit up San Telmo Market.

San Telmo is an old iconic barrio near the city center. It is home to some beautiful old buildings and generally has a really great vibe. With a big indoor market and streets filled with stalls on Sundays, this is a great place to come and stroll the day away while checking out hundreds of identical jewelry and clothing stores in the belief you will find something you eventually want to buy.

While you ponder whether you need that tacky touristic t-shirt or modern tango CD, the thing to do in San Telmo is grab something to eat. As my Argentine companion opted for pizza (my love for Argentina doesn’t extend to its pizza I’m afraid), I guarded my hunger for something far better. Revisiting San Telmo made me think of the ultime Argie street food, the genius pairing of chorizo sausage and french bread. Hello, choripan.

Argentine men? Meh. An Argentine choripan? Now there’s a relationship for life. My love for this union of bread and chorzio began two years back. Despite the distance, choripan and I have kept the bond strong. I’m also very partial to a morcipan (black sausage sandwich), but the classic snack has always been a choripan.

But what’s this? While I had plans to head to an iconic San Telmo chorpian spot (called ‘The King of Chori‘ no less), my meaty, spidey senses tingled when I walked past this meat grilling joint as seen here on the right. A very apt description for this small place would probably be ‘hole in the wall’. No sign, no name, just the smell of sweet, sweet meat and many happy looking customers. What else could I want? I was ready to get my choripan here, until…

Hello, lover. This here is a step up in the sandwich world. Ditch the sausage for a slab of meat and you have another Argentine classic, bondipan. Bondiola de cerdo is pork shoulder and a popular cut of meat in any Argentine asado. Seeing the perfectly grilled, tender pork made my tummy rumble and my mouth water. Chorizo could wait, because I was ready to bite some bondiola. Serving me my bondipan, the asador actually had to opt for a different slice of bread as the first one he had picked out was too small. Oh yeah, my bondiola is too big for your bread.

And here it is – the best sandwich in the world, rated by Eve Bidmead (therefore it’s officially excellent). Crispy french bread, succulent, salty pork drizzled with lemon and topped with chimichurri (a great Argentine condiment made with parsley, oregano, and garlic) and a bit of chili sauce too. Eating this sandwich, I really began asking myself why I had stayed away so long. Buenos Aires, you are brilliant.

Buenos Aires is a city unlike any other. Despite being a Latin American capital, it has a distinctly European vibedue to its rich history of immigrants arriving at its ports. Not just a place attractive to Europeans, the city is also home to a huge mix of Latinos from all across the continent. Such a diverse mix of cultures means that Buenos Aires is a great place to eat. Hurray!

The Buenos Aires barrio of Once (pronounced on-say) is a brilliant place to come and sample cuisines from other Latin American countries, especially Peru. One of my old favorites in the area is the Peruvian eatery, La Rica Vicky. A popular lunch spot, the ‘menu especial‘ includes a soup and 10 plates to choose from, ranging from chicken and rice to the famous lomo saltado (beef strips cooked in a Chinese style sauce with chips) or aji a la gallina (chicken in a creamy yellow sauce made with small yellow peppers).

Being back in Buenos Aires meant catching up with friends, like Ari. We had met in Colombia and when she shared my fried ear and tongue picada after a night out, I knew she was a girl after my own heart. Sadly after three years of living and working in BA she was off back to the states. Her departure meant that cocktails at lunchtime were perfectly acceptable – being at the Peruvian joint La Rica Vicky, the typical tipple of pisco sour (pisco served with lime juice and frothed egg white) was the natural choice. Cheers to Ari and the next chapter in her life (and for making daytime cocktail sipping acceptable!).

Despite offering such a cracking lunch menu, on this particular trip to La Rica Vicky my offal-loving eye was drawn elsewhere. Anticuchos, how I love thee. Basically just a whole load of offal, these caught my eye as I was familiar with chunchuli (intestine), down with mollejitas (sweetbreads) but what an earth was rachi? Turns out it its beef heart marinated and cooked on a skewer, and would also would be my lunch for the day.

My heart was marinated to perfection. I don’t know if it’s due to the type of meat heart is (being an organ an all), but these skewers had a really great flavor, a mix of garlic, coriander, and cumin. Since researching a bit more about the role offal plays in Peruvian cuisine, I found a great recipe for these skewers here. To those of you daring enough to open your heart the eating a bit of heart, why not try cooking it at home?

It’s a well-known fact that in Buenos Aires you can get some of the best meat money can buy. But it tends to be cooked in the same way every time – on a grill, without any marinating or pre-curing. So I was very excited to discover that since I had last been in BA, a new Texan BBQ joint had opened to absolutely roaring success.

El Tejano is bringing Texan cuisine to Buenos Aires and the people are welcoming it with open arms. The owner Larry has been smoking and grilling his way around Buenos Aires for the past few years, throwing puerta cerrada style dinners – offering set menus in different locations week to week for a small amount of diners. However for the past two years he has been fixed in a small Palermo spot, offering lunches and booked out dinners to the hungry, barbecue lusting masses. (Thanks to theEl Tejano Instagramfor the pic).

I was lunching with my friend Lau and we happily let Larry do the ordering for us. Between two we ended up with an impressive three dishes…to sample a bit of everything, you know. Below is the brisket bagel, served with an incredible creamy sauce and cooked peppers, accompanied by some really, realllly good fries. What makes the fries so great? Apparently it’s the addition of chili salt and using oil which is constantly changed and kept fresh. Only the freshest fry for us ladies!

Moving on, we also sampled the famous El Tejano ribs. How very cliché to describe the meat of a tasty rib as ‘falling off the bone’, but what the hell, this meat really did fall off the bone! Smoked, marinated and grilled, they were some of the best ribs I have ever tasted.

Just when we thought we couldn’t squeeze in any more, along came the wings. These for me were the highlight, as being in Buenos Aires for a few days already I’d had my fair share of meat. But chicken wings, smoked and then fried, smothered in BBQ sauce? Well, there’s a thing I hadn’t eaten in my entire life! As Larry told us, he’s the only person in BA smoking and frying his wings, and actually the only guy in Texas to do so too. So if you want to try these authentic Texan smoked wings (which you really, really do), get your arse to Argentina.

This is not the end of my BA eats. Barely the beginning! What would any Buenos Aires food blogging be without at least a couple of steak houses thrown in? And check back for the next post, in which I reveal the location of the world’s best sandwich ever (expertly rated by yours truly).